Nanostructured porous materials generally, and nanoporous noble metals specifically, have received considerable attention due to their superior chemical and physical properties over nanoparticles and bulk counterparts. This dissertation work aims to develop well-established strategies for the preparation of multifunctional nanostructured porous materials based on the combination of inorganic-chemistry, organic-chemistry and electrochemistry. The preparation strategies involved one or more of the following processes: sol-gel synthesis, co-electrodeposition, metal ions reduction, electropolymerization and dealloying or chemical etching. The study did not stop at the preparation limits but extended to investigate the reaction mechanism behind the formation of these multifunctional nanoporous structures in order to determine the different factors controlling the nanoporous structures formation. First, gold-silica nanocomposites were prepared and used as a building blocks for the fabrication of high surface area gold coral electrodes. Well-controlled surface area enhancement, film thickness and morphology were achieved. An enhancement in the electrode’s surface area up to 57 times relative to the geometric area was achieved. A critical sol-gel monomer concentration was also noted at which the deposited silica around the gold coral was able to stabilize the gold corals and below which the deposited coral structures are not stable. Second, free-standing and transferable strata-like 3D porous polypyrrole nanostructures were obtained from chemical etching of the electrodeposited polypyrrole-silica nanocomposite films. A new reaction mechanism was developed and a new structural directing factor has been discovered for the first time. Finally, silver-rich platinum alloys were prepared and dealloyed in acidic medium to produce 3D bicontinuous nanoporous platinum nanorods and films with a nanoporous gold-like structure. The 3D-BC-NP-Pt displayed high surface area, typical electrochemical sensing properties in an aqueous medium, and exceptional electrochemical sensing capability in a complex biofouling environment containing fibrinogen. The 3D-BC-NP-Pt displayed high catalytic activity toward the methanol electro-oxidation that is 30 times higher that of planar platinum and high volumetric capacitance of 400 F/cm3. These findings will pave the way toward the development of high performance and reliable electrodes for catalysis, sensing, high power outputs fuel cells, battery-like supercapacitors and miniaturized device applications.

Le domaine de nanocomposites polymères conducteurs a fait l’objet de nombreux travaux et recherches, vu que ces matériaux présentent un fort potentiel pour de nombreuses applications concernant différents secteurs. Toutefois, malgré les progrès et les résultats obtenus pour l’instant, les performances de ce type des matériaux restent insuffisantes pour certaines applications qui peuvent requérir l’association de diverses propriétés (électriques, thermiques, blindage électromagnétique…). Dans cette thèse, on détaille l’élaboration et la caractérisation de nanocomposites polymères conducteurs. Deux types de nanocharges conductrices (nanotubes de carbone (MWCNTs) et nanoparticules d’argent (Ag-NPs)) ont été dispersées soit dans un polymère thermoplastique (polyéthylène PE), soit dans une matrice thermodurcissable (résine époxy amine). Les nanocomposites polymères conducteurs obtenus ont présenté de bonnes propriétés électriques et thermiques ainsi qu’une bonne tenue mécanique favorisée par des taux de charges relativement faibles. La thèse a non seulement étudié des propriétés fondamentales d’un point de vue expérimental mais aussi plus théorique avec de la modélisation. Entre autres, on a pu analyser les mécanismes de conduction à très basses température dans ce type de composites. Les propriétés en termes de conductivité thermique se sont révélées cohérentes avec celles obtenues en conductivité électrique. Des propriétés de blindage électromagnétique de nos composites à base de PE ont été mis en évidence par résonance magnétique nucléaire (RMN). / Conductive polymer nanocomposites have been the object of intense researches and investigations recently. In fact, these materials have shown a great potential to be useful for many applications including different sectors. However, despite the promising results reported at the moment in this area, there is still a lack in the performance which can be improved by synchronization of their properties. In this PhD work, we present the preparation and full characterization of conductive polymer nanocomposites. Two kinds of conductive nanofillers (carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs)) have been dispersed either in a thermoplastic polymer (polyethylene PE), or in a thermoset matrix (epoxy amine). The conductive polymer nanocomposites obtained exhibit good electrical and/or thermal properties with conserving the mechanical properties ensured by low fillers fraction. The study was not only based on experimental characterizations but also on modulation to analyze the charge carrier transport at very low temperature in these systems to provide successful understanding to some basic properties which are still actually not fully investigated. Electrical properties are in good agreement with thermal properties. Electromagnetic shielding of our PE based nanocomposites have been studied by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR).